Overview
- The BBC raised the possibility of blocking iPlayer for households that refuse to pay the licence fee in an all-staff call on Monday, but stressed it will not roll out a gate now.
- Chief customer officer Kerris Bright told staff that current data show most licence evasion does not occur on iPlayer and that enforcing a gate would create hassle for paying viewers and likely cost more than it would raise.
- iPlayer already requires users to sign in and asks sometimes whether they hold a TV licence, but it does not ask for documentary proof or verify answers, which limits immediate enforcement options.
- The signal to keep gating under review comes as the BBC faces a funding shortfall after roughly 539,000 households stopped paying the £180 licence last year and the broadcaster plans major savings and job cuts to close the gap.
- Ministers and the BBC are discussing broader charter and funding changes including proposals to extend charges to streaming subscribers, a move opposed by industry groups such as the Motion Picture Association.